


Let's seal this deal

by Windfighter



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Gen, Sorry Emil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 06:11:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16487285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windfighter/pseuds/Windfighter
Summary: The crew is crossing a piece of water in the Silent World, but something's hiding under the surface.





	Let's seal this deal

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Seal-beast drawing](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/429584) by Minna Sundberg. 



Mikkel walked across the river first. It was the most logical option. If it wouldn't hold for him it definately wouldn't hold for the rest. After him was Reynir, because if there was something sleeping in the water it wouldn't have woken up enough to go after him. He carried Kitty with him. When those two were across safetly it was Sigrun's turn. Sigrun could hold her own in case something moved, struck her down or she fell into the water. Mikkel stood ready with the shotgun on the other side. Lalli had been cautiously observing them as they crossed, but he started moving now. He took a few steps closer. As Emil walked up to the river Lalli grabbed his rifle and Emil hesitated.

”Come on, pretty boy, get your ass over already!”

Emil glanced at Lalli but knew Sigrun was right. He had to cross. Maybe if he ran...He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and darted onto the small floating mossthings everyone had stepped on. They moved under his feet, but he managed one, two, three steps. Sigrun stretched her hand into his direction, ready to catch him, but she was so far away and the thing under his feet moved. Emil lost his balance, flailed. His cloak flapped behind him, didn't help and then there was water everywhere. A shot echoed in the water, his head breached the surface and he tried to crawl back onto the isle. The beast that had been sleeping moved, Lalli shot at it again, but his bullets didn't deter it. The mossthing turned as he tried to climb up to it, and he slid back under the water. He had to get ashore, had to get out of the water.

The beast was moving quicker now, spurred on by Emil's movements and Lalli's shots. Emil started swimming towards the shore where the others were waiting, but his cloak was heavy with water and wrapped around him. Almost there, he was almost...

Emil screamed. Sharp teeth cut into his leg and pulled him back, away from the shore. He twisted, tried to break free, tried to kick the beast but the water slowed his movements. He saw Lalli stepping out onto the floating moss, shooting towards the beast, and then he was pulled under as the beast dove. He held his breath, reached for his handgun, but no, it wouldn't work under water, his training had taught him that much. He grabbed his sword instead, managed to get it into the beast, but still nothing, it was too big and now he couldn't get the sword out again.

The beast bit down harder. Emil screamed again, lost the breath he was holding. Lalli lined up for another shot and the beast moved, shook Emil. Lalli's rifle fired just as Emil's body breached the surface. Emil didn't even have time to scream before he was back under the water. Pain shot out from his abdomen, the water was getting redder with every passing second, Emil was finding it harder to stay conscious. He heard two splashs, but couldn't see anything. The water was dark now, the beast was pulling him deeper. A black veil covered his eyes and he let out what little air was left in his lungs.

 

Sigrun and Lalli reached the beast and Emil at the same time. They didn't even need to look at each other, both instinctively knew what needed to be done. Their knives sank into its head, it screeched, let go of Emil. Sigrun gestured for Lalli to leave, to take Emil ashore. He grabbed Emil's shirt, pulled him towards the surface. Sigrun pulled the three blades out of the beast, sank her own into it again. It let out another screech, squirmed under her. Then it stopped moving. Sigrun put her feet against it, pulled her blade out and kicked herself towards the surface.

Lalli struggled with Emil's body and Sigrun swam up to them, grabbed Emil's arm and helped the scout. Mikkel stood by the shore, grabbed Emil when they were close enough and pulled him out of the water. Sigrun and Lalli crawled up, breathed quickly. Lalli sank down next to Emil, watched as Mikkel opened up his coat and his shirt.

”How bad is it?” Sigrun asked.

”I do not know yet.”

”That's a.... that's a lot of blood”, Reynir said.

”Is he even still alive?”

Sigrun sank down to the ground and poked Emil, who didn't react. Mikkel pulled off his backpack and pushed Sigrun's hand away.

”Give me some room to examine him.”

”Fine big guy. Twig, come on, let's leave him to work.”

Lalli didn't move. Instead he grabbed Emil's hand. Mikkel rolled Emil to the side, checked his back.

”There is an exit wound, so there's no bullet inside of him.”

”That's a good thing, right?” Sigun asked.

She knew it wasn't, she had been on the field enough times to learn. Mikkel shook his head and started going through his backpack and Emil fell down on his back again.

”I will do what I can to stop the bleeding, but there might be damages to his intestrines. I can't do anything about that.”

”Do we have to go back?” Reynir asked.

”We'll have to find another way”, Sigrun answered, ”but yeah. Unless you can fix him of course.”

”Aa, maybe? I'm not sure. I can try?”

”We shouldn't put up the tent here though”, Mikkel said as he took out the medkit. ”Lalli, I need you to find a place nearby where we can put up the tent.”

Lalli tilted his head and squeezed Emil's hand tighter. Mikkel repeated the request and Lalli let go, left. Mikkel cleaned the wounds, stitched them up and put bandages over them. Sigrun and Reynir was watching as he worked and he tried to ignore them as he moved to Emil's leg. The pants were ripped and bloody and he pulled it away from the wounds, took the boot of Emil's foot.

”Reminds me of your arm last adventure”, Mikkel said and smiled towards Sigrun.

”He'll be up again soon though, right? I was up again immediately!”

”On the other hand you didn't get shot. He'll be up again as soon as he can.”

Lalli came back as Mikkel finished taking care of Emil's injuries. Lalli looked at Emil, didn't say anything and gestured for the others to follow him. Mikkel lifted Emil, put him on Sigrun's back, and Sigrun took hold off him.

”I'd carry him myself, but I'm already carrying the backpack.”

Sigrun nodded, she understood. She knew Lalli would lead them on safe trails so she wouldn't need to risk dropping Emil to protect the others. Mikkel grabbed his shotgun again and then they started walking.

 

It had been three days. They had stayed in one spot, ignoring Sigrun's protests. The longer they stayed still the chance that something stumbled over them increased. Lalli looked at Emil, watched as his chest rose and sank peacefully. He seemed stronger now, some of the colour had returned to his cheeks. He hadn't woken up and Mikkel had hmmed while checking him a couple of hours earlier. Lalli fixed Emil's hair for the twentieth time. It didn't do anything, but Emil always seemed more relaxed when Lalli was playing with his hair.

Emil pulled in a sharp breath and Lalli pulled away, called for Mikkel. Nothing happened. Mikkel knelt next to Emil, changed the dressing on his wounds and then left the tent.

”How's he doing?” Sigrun asked.

”Better, but...”

Lalli couldn't understand the rest. He laid down, kept looking at Emil. He should rest, he would need to go out again in a few hours, to make sure there wasn't anything closing in. He closed his eyes, his hand moved closer to Emil's. Barely touched it, but it was warm, not cold like it had been when they pulled him out of the water. Better. Better, but... Sleep came over him but he was still in the tent. Emil was there, awake.

”Hey.”

Lalli didn't move, didn't say anything. Emil looked at him.

”How are you?”

Finnish. They were dreaming. He looked away.

”Why won't you wake up?”

”???”

”You're sleeping, you've been sleeping since...” He couldn't say it, couldn't say 'since I shot you'. ”...you've been sleeping for days. We need you to wake up.”

Emil looked towards the roof of the tent, didn't answer. Lalli waited.

”I don't... think I can.”

”...stupid.”

He didn't know what to say. Emil chuckled.

”'s not funny.”

Emil laughed, then winced. He looked at Lalli again.

”...Are _you_ okay?”

”Idiot. Worry about yourself.”

”Yeah, but are you?”

”I'm not the one who...” 

...who almost died. Lalli shook his head.

”I'm okay. Stupid.”

”Will you... will you stay here? With me? Until you have to wake up?”

Outside the dream Lalli's hand grabbed Emil's.

”Only if you wake up with me.”

 

Everything was pain. Emil clenched his eyes shut but couldn't escape back into the dream. Lalli sat up next to him, didn't let go of his hand, and Emil held Lalli's hand tighter.

”Mikkel!”

Sounds were muffled, his brain still catching up. Mikkel's hand on his shoulder, he knew the weight of it by now.

”Emil, deeper breaths.”

He wasn't aware of how quick he was breathing, of how little air actually got into his lungs. His head was starting to swim. But something heavy was placed on his chest, a hand buried into his hair. He could breathe again, the pain was getting duller. The blanket was pulled off him and his body started shivering. It grew worse as his shirt was pulled up.

”You have a slight fever”, Mikkel said, ”but the wounds are healing up nicely. How do you feel?”

”C-cold?”

Mikkel snrkt and pulled the shirt down again, wrapped the blanket around him. Emil opened his eyes, noticed Lalli's head on his chest.

”We're glad too have you back with us”, Mikkel continued. ”You've been sleeping for three days. We were debating about whether to head back to the town or let it run it's course.”

”How close-”

He regretted starting the question and he couldn't finish it. Mikkel looked at him, still smiling.

”Don't think about that now. I'll heat up some food for the two of you.”

Mikkel left. Lalli let go of his hair and sat up. Cold grabbed Emil's body and he shivered again. Lalli looked away, made a move to get up, but Emil grabbed his hand.

”Thank you. For staying with me.”

Lalli tilted his head. Emil shook his and smiled.

”Nothing, you go do whatever you got to do.”

Lalli sat down again. Emil took a couple deep breaths. The pain was still there, dull, not as intense as it had been when he woke up. Lalli didn't say anything, Emil didn't have energy to fill the silence, and then Mikkel returned. He handed Lalli the two steaming bowls, then helped Emil sit up. Emil pulled a sharp breath as his stomach protested the movement. It could have been worse, he thought as he tried to collect himself. Mikkel sat down behind him, supported him so he could sit up without straining himself, and Lalli handed him one of the bowls.

”Only eat as much as you feel you can”, Mikkel said.

Emil nodded. He didn't feel hungry, he'd only eat a few spoons. Lalli's eyes followed his hand as he lifted one spoon full of stew to his mouth. It felt thick in his mouth, dry, but he forced himself to swallow it. Then, his stomach rumbled. Realizing it hadn't gotten food for days it wanted _more_ and Emil ate three more spoons, five, eight. Mikkel noticed and took the bowl from him.

”I think that's enough for now. You can have some more later.”

Emil's stomach was protesting but he wasn't sure what it was protesting, so he nodded. Mikkel took the bowls and left and Emil laid down. His eyes were getting heavy again and he closed them, listened as Lalli left the tent as well.

”So? Is he better?” Sigrun asked.

Emil was drifting off. He could hear his own heart beating and he placed a hand over the wound on his stomach. He could barely feel it now.

”He's awake”, Mikkel answered. ”He'll feel better soon, but he needs some more rest.”

”So we'll be able to continue soon?”

Emil smiled and buried down deeper under the blanket.

”...yeah, soon”, Mikkel confirmed.

Emil was asleep, but this time he knew it was only temporary.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah I kind of forgot what I was going to write since I took a two month-break in the middle of it. Could you tell? :P


End file.
